Tailpiece for stringed musical instruments



l1,615,152 H. w. WEYMANN TAIIL PIECE FQR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Jagn. 131927. l

Filed Oct, 6, 1922 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. TVEYMANN, OF PHILADELPHIA7 PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO H. A. VEYMANN & SON, INC., 0F PHILADELPI-IEA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TAILPIECE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed October 6, 1922'.

My invention relates to nei* and useful iinprfilvcnients in a tail piece for stringed musical instruments, such as banjos, and has .tor its object to provide a device oi this character 'l attachn'lent to the body ol the musical instrument engaging the strings thereof' uf'hereby a greater or less pressure may he lufought to bear upon the strings below the bridge.

A inither object of the invention is to provide a skeleton body member pivotally attached to a bracket member, the latter provided with means 'for direct attachment, to the body of a musical instrument or to the ordinary metallic bracket on some instruments of this class.

A further object of my invention is to provide for enclosing the pegs or lugs to which the ends of the strings are attached in order to prevent the clothing of the musician from coming in contact with said lugs which would have a tendency to tear the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple arrangement of elements whereby the cross bar of the body will be forced or moved toward the parchment head of the instrument in order to add a tension to the strings for increasing the tone oi the musical instrument.

lVith these ends in view, this .invention consists in the details ot construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1, is a conventional side elevation of a banjo showing the application of my improved tail piece.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged plan view of the tail piece with the removable cover partly broken away to illustrate the interior construction.

Fig. 3, is a sectional end view thereof.

Fig. 4, is a section at the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 with the sliding cover removed.

Serial No- 592,703

vln carrying out my invention as here em bodied` 2 represeilts the body oi a stringed musical instriuncut7 such as a banjo, 8 the strings thereof and d the bridge on'n'hirh the strings rest, the said bridge standing' upon the parchment head. of the musical instrument.

The nun'ieral 5 denotes my improved tail piece comprising a bracke` uien'iber 6 having a hole 7 through the upright portion 8 thereot whereby said bracket member may be attached by suitable securing means directly to the body 2 ot a musical instrument, said bracket member also having a loot 9 in which is formed a hole 10 for the passage of suitable securing means such as a screw for attachment to a metallic bracket when such a bracket is carried by the body of this class of musical instruments. At the upper end of the upright portion 8 of the bracket member is an inturncd panel 11 having an ear 12 at each end and carrying a plurality of undercut pegs or lugs 13 for registration with the loops of the different strings on the musical instrument.

To the ears of the bracket member is pivoted the skeleton body 111 by means of' rivets 15 or their equivalent passing through the ears 12 and the arms 16 of the skeleton body. Connected with the inner ends of the arms 16 is a cross bar 17 adapted to overlie and engage the musical instrument string below the bridge or between said bridge and the tail of the instrument.

At the outer ends of the arms is a downwardly turned portion or hanger 18 into which is threaded a set screw 19 the inner ends of which is adapted to impinge against the outer face of the upright portion 8 ot the bracket member so that as said set screw is screwed inward the downwardly turned portion or hanger 18 will be moved outward or away from the bracket member and thcreby cause the cross rod 17 to move downward toward the head of the instrument for producing the desired tension upon the strings.

The outer ends of the arms 16 are undercut or beveled, as indicated at 20, for the coaction with the inturned sides 21 of the removable cover 22 which by means of said sides is slidably mounted upon the rear portion of the skeleton body to enclose or cover the pegs or lugs 'lf3 to prevent contactot the latter with the clothing ot the musician. This corer is also provided with a downturned lip 23 which engages the outer end ot' the arms or the hanger 18 to limit the inward movement ot' Said cover and also house the upper portion ot said hanger.

lvy constructing a tail piece in the manner described it is adapted. tor attachment to the musical instrument in either ot the two ways in which tail pieces are generally cured to a musical instrun'ient thereby orercoming the necessity ot reconstructingthe musical instrument or adding additional parts. Further the construction ot the tail piece is such that the instrument strings ma)- be readily passed beneath the cross har and quickly attached to the pegs or lugs provided for securement ot said strings.

lt is ot considerable advantage to hare the attachingpegs o; lugs eorered or en closed in order to prerent-undue wear upon the clothing ot the musician and while this if: accompliehed by the cover referred to above the latter being removable permits the strings to be readily and easily fastened n place.

@t course do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varied within the limits ot the appended claim withoutdeparting Ytrom the spirit of my invention.

Haring thueI fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usetul is:-

A tail piece tor a stringed musical instrument comprising an angle shaped bracket, means on the vertical part thereotI 'tor permitting it to be tastened to an instrument, the horizontal part of the bracket being flat with an ear at each side thereof, hook-shaped. projections on said fiat part tor receiving the looped ends ot' the strings ot the instrument, a skeleton trame including side niemli-ers and trent and rear cross pieces and haring its side members pivoted to the ears, with itsl Yfront cross piece engaging the lstrings7 a i' ypendingr piece on the rear cross piece, a ret screw carried by the depending piece and engaging the T"ertical part ot the ln'arket t'or adjusting the pressure o't the itront cross; piece ot the 'trame on the strings, the side pieces adjacent the rear cross piece oil' the 'frame haring their outer edges tapering downwardly and inwardly and a cover having side flanges thereon extending downwardly and inwardly 'for engaging the said edges so that the cover slidably mounted on the trame and covers the projections and a flange on the rear of the cover engaging the depending piece.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto aliixed my signature.

HARRY lV. VEYMANN. 

